Need baby turkey help - Updated with PICTURES!!!!

[Happy Chooks]

I found a baby wild turkey trying to squeeze through my fence to get in with my chickens. It has some wing feathers, but it's umbilical area is still there, so I'm guessing about a week old? There is no mother turkey anywhere and it had a bunch of burrs stuck to it.

So I set it up in a brooder with Flock Raiser and some water. DH says I should have left it be since it's a wild animal, but I couldn't let it die as it actually did squeeze through the fence when I was trying to catch it and my chickens were chasing it. I know nothing about caring for a turkey, I only have chickens. It keeps pacing trying to get out. I gave it a stuffed animal and a mirror also.

 

[Lotsapaints]

It needs company do you have any chicks? That's why it's pacing...same kind of care as a chick though needs higher protein starter but it can get by with chick starter it should make it then you'll be another one of us ruled by our turkeys... you do need to show it how to eat and drink and give it a buddy have fun turkeys are very entertaining

 

[dieselgrl48]

Well just keep it warm and food and water.If it's that small it's unlikely it will survive if you turn it back out.They need warmth and the mama isnt around to teach it to really eat yet.Hopefully it will calm down a bit.Baby turkey's are a bit tempermental brooding even if not wild.I have raised quite a few and they really don't like being held a lot.They are not as bad as guinea's though as babie's.Try to get it a 24% protien food which I always started mine out on and just fresh water and clean shaving's.You can try holding it for a few minute's a couple time's a day to start.Perhap's the hen got killed by a predator or something my broody Narrgansett did in well hidden brush

.Hope it dose ok for ya please update us.

 

[Happy Chooks]

No, I don't have any chicks right now. I'm out of room until the new coop is done. And it settles down fine when being held.

All I have is Flock raiser, which is 20% protein. (I figured that would be better than chick starter, which I also have)

 

[The Sheriff]

This is gonna be fun!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'll be getting some pics in a bit. How old does a turkey have to be before you can tell the sex? Do they grow faster than chickens?

The little one has scratched around in the shavings when I went to check on it this morning. It loves to be held and snuggles into me. I have made sure to dip it's beak occasionally to make sure it's drinking. I haven't seen it eat yet, but it was pecking at my clothes, tried to have it peck at crumbles in my hand, but it just wanted to snuggle.

Anyhow, I'll get some pics in a bit. It's little brown eyes are so cute.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Okay, here's the pics.

We love to snuggle. It will climb up me to nuzzle into me.

No struggling when picked up.

I'll even go to sleep.

I feel so bad that the poor thing has no mom. I wish I had a broody to raise it. Mary, you want a turkey poult for your broody?

 

[gryeyes]

Ohhhhhhhh.... how darling! I wouldn't have been able to tell that was a turkey poult if that showed up in MY yard! Nor would I have been able to let it go back into "the wild."

There was an adult wild turkey roosting about 20 feet up in a tree in the yard next door to mine for a couple of nights. My neighbor knew I had chickens and asked me if I was missing a turkey.

No, not me. Just chickens and the 2 ducks. Then the third morning I noticed it had made it all the way up to the front house and yard on my land-lady's property, crossed the road as I was closing the drive gate to head to work, and disappeared into the parking lot of the Moose Hall over there.

It surely was a distinctive gobble when it was up in that tree, though. I wonder how it would fit in with my flock..... I mean, as a poult, growing up with all of us.

 

[SkyWarrior]

It's beautiful!

 

[thecityman]

I have twins to your wild turkey. 5 of them that I hatched after the nest w/eggs (and mom, tragically) was ran over by a bush hog. Mine are about 2.5 weeks older than yours....one thing I can tell you is that your baby is younger than you may think...It looks like mine did on days 2-6. Amazingly, wild ones come out of the shell with actual feather tips, just like the ones visable in your photos. So that thing is a big-time baby! I continued to be surprised at the number of people on byc who have wild turkey interactions, where either a baby or adult or both come to the fences of domestic fowl. The wild turkeys here are incredibly wild and I don't think they'd come near ANYTHING that seems even remotely man-made, and they certainly take off at the site of a human!
ANyway, the good news is that, if yours goes as well as mine are, the little guy will do amazinglywell and have no trouble figuring out how to eat and drink and so on. Good luck